Summary:  I was thinking about how due to Dan Blocker’s death the Cartwright’s lost Hoss. This short piece came to me and I had to write it down.

Rating:  K (540 words)

 

A Letter from Hoss

 

They’d found the letter the month after they buried him. It had been found in one of his drawers. Their tears, the ones they’d thought had finally stopped ran again as Ben read to his surviving sons;

Dear Pa, Adam and Little Joe

I am writin’ this as I sit lookin’ at the beautiful mountains, trees and beautiful lake below. If’n ya knew I got up this mornin’ with the feelin’ I would be joinin’ my ma soon you’d prob’bly have locked me in my room ’til I got over it’ …so I didn’t tell ya. Please forgive me.

Pa, I wanted to thank you. Why? For lovin’ me enough to teach me right from wrong. For not being afraid to discipline me when ya had to and not being afraid to show me ya still loved me after it was over. For bein’ there when I needed ya and workin’ so hard for us boys…even when ya was grievin’ for love lost. For lovin’ me even though I may not have been the brightest boy in school-for showin’ me I had plenty of smarts in other areas and fer puttin’ up with all the critters I was always a bringin’ home. I could fill this here whole letter up with nothin’ but thank ya’s if’n I had to. I hope ya always remember how much I love ya.

Adam, Thank ya for bein’ such a great big brother. If’n truth be told I know ya had a heavy load watchin’ over me after my ma was killed by those injun’s yet ya never complained…well, I never heard ya anyway. There had to be nights ya laid awake wonderin’ why such a load was yers to bear. I’m proud of ya fer goin’ to college and getting’ more ed’catun (yea, prob’bly spelt that wrong but somehow, I reckon ya will understand it). Y a need to follow yer dreams. I understand that. I hope ya find what ya are lookin’ fer. I really do. I love ya a lot.

Little Joe, yer is so impatient and hot tempered but ya is the best little brother a body could want. Ya keep thing’s hoppin’ fer sure. Never a dull moment with ya huh? No wonder pa has all the gray hair. Mm I guess, if’n truth be told…Adam and I need to take some credit for that change of color on pa’s head but shhhh don’t tell ‘im I said that. If’n he is readin’ over yer shoulder just tell him he’s see’n things…ya know like that knight but tell him this time the knight’s not real. Reckon, he won’t believe us but it’s still worth a shot right?

I don’t know when ma’s comin’ to get me but she is. I can feel it in the air. Maybe she’ll wait a few more days…I hope so anyway. I still have ta find that rabbit that got loose in the house. If’n Hop Sing finds it first we might be having rabbit stew for supper. Oh no, now I’m a scarin’ myself!

When my time does comes remember I and ma, Adam’s ma and Little Joe’s ma? We will be watchin’ over ya ev’ry day.

Love, Hoss